Great question — the territory of modern Ukraine has a long and rich history, and many different peoples lived there long before ethnic Ukrainians emerged as a distinct group in the Middle Ages.
Here is a historical overview of the main peoples who inhabited the land that is now Ukraine:
1. Prehistoric Cultures (before 1st millennium BCE)
Trypillians (Cucuteni-Trypillia culture) – 5500–2750 BCE
- One of the most advanced Neolithic cultures in Europe.
- Known for large settlements, pottery, agriculture.
- Centered in central Ukraine (Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy regions).
Cimmerians – 12th–7th century BCE
- Early nomadic Indo-European people.
- Mentioned by Assyrians and Greeks.
2. Scythians and Sarmatians (1st millennium BCE – early CE)
Scythians – 7th–3rd century BCE
- Iranian-speaking nomads; ruled vast steppe areas of Ukraine.
- Known from Greek historians (e.g., Herodotus).
- Left rich archaeological sites (e.g., gold from Scythian burial mounds).
Sarmatians – 3rd century BCE – 4th century CE
- Another Iranian nomadic group; replaced Scythians in the steppes.
3. Ancient Greek Colonies – 6th century BCE – Roman era
- Greeks founded cities on the Black Sea coast (e.g., Olbia, Chersonesus, Tyras).
- These cities traded with the local tribes (Scythians, Thracians, Getae).
4. Gothic and Hunnic Period (3rd–5th centuries CE)
Goths
- Germanic tribe that migrated from Scandinavia through Ukraine (called Scythia in some sources).
- Had a strong presence in southern Ukraine (Crimea).
Huns
- Central Asian nomads who invaded in the 4th century and disrupted earlier groups.
5. Slavs and Avars (6th–9th centuries CE)
Early Slavic tribes (e.g., Antae, Slaveni, Drevlyans, Polans)
- Began settling Ukraine around the 5th–6th centuries CE.
- These tribes are the direct ancestors of Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Russians.
Avars, Khazars
- Turkic-speaking steppe nomads who ruled parts of southern Ukraine.
- The Khazar Khaganate (7th–10th c.) was powerful in eastern/southeastern Ukraine.
- Some Jews lived under Khazar rule; the elite reportedly converted to Judaism.
6. Kyivan Rus’ (9th–13th centuries CE)
- A powerful East Slavic medieval state centered in Kyiv.
- Founded by Varangian (Norse) rulers but largely Slavic in population.
- Considered the foundational state for modern Ukrainians, Russians, and Belarusians.
7. Mongol Invasions & Post-Rus’ Rule (13th–15th centuries)
- After the Mongol invasion (1240), Ukraine fragmented.
- Western Ukraine came under Polish-Lithuanian rule, while
- Eastern and Southern Ukraine were under Mongol successor states (Golden Horde).
When Did Ukrainians Emerge?
- The ethnogenesis of Ukrainians happened gradually from the 9th to 15th centuries, based on:
- East Slavic tribes (Polans, Drevlyans, Severians),
- Influence from Kyivan Rus’,
- Interaction with nomadic peoples and neighbors (Lithuanians, Poles, Tatars).
| Time Period | Peoples in Ukraine |
|---|---|
| Neolithic – 3000 BCE | Trypillians, Dnieper-Donets culture |
| 1200–700 BCE | Cimmerians |
| 700 BCE – 300 CE | Scythians, Sarmatians, Greek colonists |
| 300–500 CE | Goths, Huns |
| 500–800 CE | Slavic tribes, Avars, Khazars |
| 800–1240 CE | Kyivan Rus’ (Slavs under Norse/Varangian rulers) |
| 13th–15th centuries | Mongols, Tatars, Lithuanians, Poles |
| 15th c. onward | Formation of the Ukrainian people (Cossack, Ruthenian roots) |